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Dyscalculia defined and strategies to help support it.

While it is October and the word dyscalculia does look and sound like a mix of Dracula and Transylvania, people with the condition are actually more scared of numbers than vampires. But seriously, dyscalculia is a specific learning disability that affects someone’s ability to do math.

It has been referred to as dyslexia with numbers, but that would not be accurate. A student struggling with dyscalculia may excel in reading or writing or history and not have any trouble with processing language. Their difficulties lie solely in working with numbers. The Child Mind Institute states that approximately 5% to 7% of students struggle with dyscalculia and it occurs equally in both boys and girls.

So what does it look like?

Younger children:

• have difficulty recognizing numbers

• have a delay in learning to count

• may have trouble recognizing patterns and placing things in order

• overly rely on fingers or objects when counting

School-age children:

• have significant trouble learning the basic facts in all four operations

• struggle with money and making change

• have difficulty telling time and reading clocks

• get frustrated by games that require keeping score or number strategies

Strategies to support students

In our immediate gratification and silver bullet seeking society, one often looks for quick fix remedies. Unlike ADHD where medication can have a profound and immediate effect on one’s performance, students struggling with dyscalculia will need a comprehensive set of strategies to help them succeed in their math classes and related homework.

What follows is a list of strategies that are research-backed and have proven to help students who struggle with dyscalculia.

1. Use graph paper to line up numbers and problems. Graph paper, perhaps surprisingly to some, comes in different sizes, so a younger student may benefit from paper with 1/2 inch squares.

2. Provide a list of formulas required to solve the problems. For example, if students are working on area and perimeter of rectangles and squares, write the correct formulas on the student’s paper.

3. Use manipulatives. The more hands-on a problem can be and the better a student can visualize the math going on, the better. Pattern blocks, base ten blocks and unifix cubes are all good examples.

4. Teach highlighting and circling of key words. In word problems it is critical for students to know what operation or combination of operations is being asked of them to solve the problem. Circling and highlighting helps a student focus on the most important parts of the question.

5. Teach math language. Directly teach that sum means addition, difference means subtraction, product means multiplication, and quotient means division. Also instruct what the phrases “in all,” “all together,” and “how many more than” mean in a math context.

6. Use a calculator. Allow the student to use a calculator, especially when computation is not being assessed.

7. Provide fact charts. Not only allow a student to use a fact chart but teach them how to use it. A multiplication fact chart can be used to find quotients!

8. Draw pictures. The more a child can visualize a problem, the better the chance they have of solving it. Pictures do not need to be works of art! Stick figures, circles and squares can represent just about anything.

9. List steps for multi-step problems. Not only should the steps be listed, but also provide sample problems already worked out that serve as models.

10. Review, review, review! Constantly review and connect new material to previously learned content.

Final thoughts

While dyscalculia affects approximately 5% to 7% of the student population, it is rare that it occurs as the only challenge. Many students who struggle with dyscalculia may also wrestle with focus and or language processing issues. That is why it is important to get comprehensive testing completed by a competent and trustworthy educational specialist to provide a thorough and accurate picture of a student’s strengths and weaknesses.

As we head into October with the first quarter of the school year coming to an end and ghosts and goblins galloping about the neighborhood, don’t let your child continue to be scared of numbers. If you feel like your child may have dyscalculia and would like to discuss it with a knowledgable professional, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain.

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What are the soft skills that 21st Century employers desire? And here’s how to develop them in your child.

Psst. Yes, you, parents. Oh, heck yes, you too, teachers.

We are going to let you in on a secret. Schools and school districts and state departments of education and councils for curriculum development have been getting it wrong for, well, forever.

If the goal is to make students college and career ready when they leave high school, then all these entities are failing. Because they place the focus on the three Rs: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Skills that can allegedly be organized, sequenced, and ultimately tested. Left brain stuff!

But those skills are ultimately NOT what today’s employers are looking for. According to the Department of Labor, companies have identified a list of competencies that they are searching for in a 21st century worker. Included among them are the ability to collaborate and problem solve, and the possession of a strong work ethic.

Don’t trust a government website? Then ask business leaders themselves! An Edutopia article quotes several company executives, and they agree that they do not hire someone for what they know. Rather, they look for an employee who can learn new material rapidly and problem solve, because in the tech industry – along with many other industries – what is currently being used in the marketplace will be outdated in six months.

So, what are these elusive soft skills, and more importantly, how can they be developed if schools are not teaching them? Great question! Read on to acquaint yourself with these sought-after skills and some ways to cultivate them in your child.

The Soft Skills

Communication

The ability to communicate is critical in today’s business world. Whether face to face, through email or even via a text, it is important to know how to clearly communicate a message. Face to face communication has really taken a backseat during the pandemic, but that does not mean the basics ought to be forgotten. Look the speaker in the eye; wait your turn; acknowledge you are understanding the message by saying, “Yes” or “I understand.” And with the increased presence of social media, one must be competent at and familiar with LinkedIn, Instagram, and the other popular platforms. And do not forget the telephone! Sometimes an actual phone is required, so extending basic etiquette to phone calls is important too.

Problem Solving

In the most basic sense, problem solving is figuring something out without being told how to do it. Extending current knowledge to an unfamiliar situation, generating a possible solution, and evaluating the outcome is critical in 21st century professional environments. How do you develop this? By challenging your child to think through a complex problem and NOT offering the solution. Perhaps Google or YouTube have some hints on how to solve whatever the problem is, but make your child figure it out themselves.

Teamwork

At the heart of teamwork is the ability of a group of people to work towards a common goal. To that end one must be willing to delegate authority and/or be willing to accept being delegated an assignment. The vast majority of 21st century jobs are not performed in a vacuum. Even a sole proprietorship accountant must work nicely with others if he or she is to run a successful business. Students can practice team skills when they are part of a sports team, part of a cast performing a play, or functioning well as part of a group project in school.

Flexibility/Adaptability

Flexible thinking is a critical Executive Functions skill. Most students do well when their daily schedule is rolling along exactly as they expected. However, if an unexpected incident occurs, can they respond with grace and ease to the new situation? One way to help prepare your child to be more flexible is through rehearsal. Discuss a possible situation that could occur at school. For example, a student thinks his math test is on Friday but when your child walks in the classroom on Thursday the teacher is handing out the test. Help your child brainstorm possible solutions. Possibilities are to ask the teacher for an extension; take the test and perhaps be surprised by how much you actually know; ask to go to the nurse if you are truly not feeling well. Rehearsal will provide your child opportunities to practice dealing with unexpected events.

Attitude

One aspect of our personality that everyone can control is our attitude. The Department of Labor says: “Many employers would rather provide job skills training to an enthusiastic but inexperienced worker than hire someone with perfect qualifications but a less than-positive attitude.” Clearly teaching your child to be aware of their attitude and asking them to present a positive attitude can pay dividends. Nobody likes being around a perpetual sourpuss!

Concluding Thoughts

Think of the soft skills as the glue that holds the hard skills together. While schools generally do not teach them, the soft skills can be taught. Nobody doubts that reading, writing, and math are important. But being proficient in the hard skills is not enough. According to business leaders, 21st century workers must be able to think, problem solve, and communicate.

If you would like to discuss ways to further develop soft skills in your child, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain.

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School is starting. Here are 8 tips for parents and students to start the school year out well.

As the calendar flips to August, and the Dog Days of Summer settle in, the approaching Back to School season can conjure up different feelings for different people. For teachers it may be excitement to welcome in a new group of students and for a year of learning. For parents it may be elation to get the kids out of the house and back to school. For students, it may be a combustible mix of anticipation, apprehension, and anxiety.

Of course COVID-19 still hovers over society as a whole and education in particular. Mask policies are being set, then changed, then fought over, then negotiated, then changed again. Are schools offering hybrid instruction or is every child going to be back in the physical classroom? While parents and students understandably have questions and concerns, most reasonable people can agree we want everyone to be safe.

How do parents sort through all the information bombarding them to best prepare their child to go back to school? The answer? Read the Engage the Brain blog for the best tips and advice to set your child up for their best school year.

Engage the Brain interviewed several of their Learning Specialists and mined the Internet, searching for the Best Back to School advice. It is divided into two categories: For parents and for students.

For Parents:

Adjust the Sleep Schedule

Transition your child to a school year schedule a few days before school starts. Julie Riddle, a Learning Specialist at Engage the Brain and former classroom teacher, says that children who have had a few days of back to school rest instead of summertime sleep hours were able to transition without a lot of afternoon fatigue.

Encourage Down Time

Every minute of your child’s day does not need to planned out. Stephanie Peterkin, a kindergarten teacher and Learning Specialist, encourages parents to “allow kids to be kids.” She advocates for unstructured time each day for children to simply play and unwind. Julie Riddle echoed the thought. She said, “Students with down time tended to be a little more self-sufficient and were more relaxed and ready to receive instruction.” Keep these thoughts in mind as you create your child’s after school schedule. Sports, clubs, and instrument lessons all take up valuable time.

Communicate with the Teacher(s)

Depending on your child’s age, there may be one, two, or up to seven teachers at school. Learn each instructor’s communication preference. Some prefer email; others a phone call; still others prefer a message through a Learning Management System such as Canvas. Julie Riddle emphasizes that she is not a mind reader! She encourages her parents to send an email introducing themselves. This will set the stage for a yearlong relationship, which will benefit all parties involved: parent, teacher, and student.

Build a Routine

Children thrive on consistency and predictability. Help your child develop a before school and after school schedule to help with transitions from one activity to the next. When is snack time and homework time after school? Peterkin recommends getting in the habit of getting everything ready the night before so mornings are not as hectic. She suggests including the kids in the responsibility of getting their clothes out, making lunch, and packing up their backpacks. Creating checklists can be helpful that your child can follow each evening to ensure every task is completed. Lena Boccio, a speech and language pathologist suggests asking open-ended questions about their day. Instead of asking, “How was your day?” and getting a one-word answer, ask thought provoking questions such “What made you smile today” or “What are you looking forward to tomorrow?” By building and sticking to routines, your child will thrive and and revive and be ready for the next day of school.

For Students:

Adjust Your Attitude

Students have had one heck of a school experience over the past year and a half. Virtual learning, hybrid, and in-person instruction have all taken place. As the new school year begins, Peterkin reminds students that it is okay to not know everything or understand everything the first time they try. She encourages her students to keep practicing… practice makes better, not perfect!

Adjust Your Attire

Many of us have become too comfortable with our hybrid Zoom meeting clothes. As long as our shirt is appropriate we could be in our gym shorts and fuzzy slippers for all the other meeting participants know. But back to school, in-person requires appropriate attire. If your school has uniform policy, this is moot point. Otherwise dress appropriately.

Have Fun

Going back to school should be a fun time of the year. Tara Karch, a former classroom teacher and Learning Specialist, recommends celebrating the return to school. She reminisced about her mother making a day of going back-to-school shopping and ending the excursion with a post-shopping lunch at the same restaurant each year. Peterkin reminds students that learning is meant to be fun. She encourages the students to “be curious and creative” and to ask questions.

Get Moving

The pandemic has not been kind to some people’s waistlines. Lockdowns have meant less exercise for both adults and kids. A sedentary lifestyle is easy to settle into. Don’t! Get outside and move. In a previous blog post, we discussed the importance of exercise and self-care. Increasing your endurance through walking, running, or biking is great for both your physical and mental health and positions you to meet the challenges of school.

Concluding Thoughts

Many parents worry about their child returning to school. Will they be behind academically? Perhaps. But students have worked on other more valuable skills during this unprecedented time, such as perspective, negotiation, empathy, and flexible thinking. Arguably skills that will benefit them long after they have forgotten how to solve an algebraic equation.

If you have questions or concerns about your child returning to school, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain.

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What is the difference between Engage the Brain and a national learning center? Highly trained learning specialists and a passion for student success.

We all do it.

Whether it is for our home, our car, or even our bodies, if we have a problem that we cannot solve, we Google. For example, if my brakes are squeaking on my Jeep, I might Google “best brake repair in Orlando.” Immediately dozens of national businesses that paid to have their company appear on the first page of Google pop up in front of me.

But as a savvy consumer, I do not click on the first one. I refine my search words and try again: “best Jeep brake mechanic in Orlando.” Suddenly a new list of possibilities lights up on my screen, including some of the same ones from my first search. Now I use my critical thinking skills and narrow my search down to a few possibilities, check their customer reviews, and make plans to call them.

Not to confuse the importance of brakes and children, but parents often go through the same digital dance outlined above when it comes to finding a tutor for their child. Johnny comes home struggling in math and a panicked mother grabs her device, opens Google and types in “math tutor Orlando.” Guess what comes up in the search results? A list of national tutoring centers.

While reliable and accurate statistics are difficult to find, at least 10% of K-12 students have used a tutor at some point in their school career. The percentages climb in middle school and high school with up to 50% of secondary students seeking a tutor.

Learning Specialist Vs. Tutor

Of course not all tutors are created equal. An excellent high school math student may offer their services in exchange for volunteer hours or a low hourly rate and call themselves a tutor.

A Learning Specialist is highly trained, often in one area of expertise. According to the Child Mind Institute, learning specialists are “professionals, who often hold a master’s degree, are trained to evaluate and aid children with learning disabilities. They work with you, your child, and your child’s school to develop strategies to compensate for any learning deficits.”

Jennifer Disch, owner and founder of Engage the Brain, says a big difference is a learning specialist really dives deep to target a student’s area of weakness. Specialists at Engage the Brain are trained in intervention techniques like Orton-Gillingham or Lindamood-Bell Processes so they have experience and training in “truly teaching using direct instruction with appropriate feedback.”

Emily Hickman, Director of Instruction and Student Support for Engage the Brain, says that in addition to working with students with dyslexia using the Orton-Gillingham program, specialists also focus on Executive Functions coaching, speech and language therapy, and academic support in reading, writing, and math. Specialists have pursued training in these areas to help support students who may have diagnosis such as Dysgraphia, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, or Speech and Language Disorder.

Engage the Brain Versus National Learning Center

National learning centers are just that: large, nation-wide conglomerates that provide tutors – often teachers from local schools working after school hours – to students in small group settings.

Engage the Brain’s learning specialists work with students one on one, targeting specific skills, using researched-backed techniques. Jennifer Disch said, “Engage the Brain aims to not only close academic gaps, it also strives to help students build confidence and rediscover a love of learning.” She added that sessions are taught “in an explicit and multisensory fashion, that are emotionally sound.”

And a student that attends Engage the Brain is supported by more than just their assigned learning specialist. Emily Hickman shared, “There is a team of people in determining each student’s needs and best match for a specialist.” Further, Engage the Brain’s presence extends beyond the office. Hickman added, “We can serve as liaisons to help support parents in school meetings or help parents explore alternative school settings.”

Questions Parents Should Ask

Learning Specialists and the administrative team that supports them at Engage the Brain have a tremendous bandwidth when it comes to experience with a variety of student backgrounds. And of course these students come to Engage the Brain via their parents. When a parent first contacts Jennifer Disch to inquire about services for their child, she wishes they would ask her a simple question: What is the benefit of coming to Engage the Brain? The answer? “Students start to (re)discover a love of learning.” She adds that personalized, one on one instruction provided by the Learning Specialists not only builds a student’s academic success, but it really aims to build learners.

Final Thoughts

In this current school climate of big data and high-stakes testing, it is no wonder students have lost their love of learning. Emily Hickman adds that the Learning Specialists do not take for granted the power of working one-on-one and seize the opportunity to rebuild confidence in struggling students. To accomplish this specialists “love incorporating creativity, games, and movement into our sessions.”

If your child is struggling in school or has lost their love of learning, don’t Google. Allow Engage the Brain and one of their highly trained Learning Specialists to work with your child. Contact Jennifer Disch and ask her about the benefits of Engage the Brain.

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Why should your kids write this summer? And 13 writing activities to get them started.

Depending on where your child goes to school, he or she may have been given reading and math activities to complete over the summer. Perhaps they are to read two books from a grade-level list and work on an Internet math website for 30 minutes per week. Noticeably missing for most students is the requirement to write.

Why?

Because formal writing is not tested on many states’ high-stakes assessments typically given at the end of the school year. Just because it is not tested does not mean writing should be ignored over the summer. Not surprisingly according to Nation’s Report Card, only 27% of middle and high school students write proficiently.

Why get your kids writing

Summer writing activities can benefit students in numerous ways, including most notably their reading comprehension. Yes, if you want your child to improve as a reader, encourage him or her to write!

But do not take our word for it.

In an article on Ed Week, Larry Ferlazzo, an English and social studies teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, CA, says, “Writing directly benefits students’ reading skills. For example, if you have students write about what they’ve read or learned (for nearly any content or age), you’ll dramatically improve reading comprehension. Students are often forced to reread and think more deeply about what they’ve read.”

Ferlazzo continues, “Writing also improves students’ reading fluency. When students have to stop and think about what spelling patterns to use when they write, they are making a deeper connection in their brains about sound and spelling patterns. This deeper connection makes it easier, and faster, for students to recall those same patterns when they read.”

Need more convincing to get your child writing this summer? In her article Why Students Should Write in All Subjects in Edutopia, Touki Terado says that researchers reveal that writing improves learning by consolidating information in long-term memory. This of course allows students to retrieve this information and make deeper connections while learning.

And how about younger students? Is there a benefit to summer writing for them too? Recent research has revealed that students who are given latitude to use inventive spelling become better readers (Oulette & Senechall, 2017). Inventive spelling is a young writers attempt to spell out words as they hear them. Encourage the practice, not admonish.

Activities to get your kids writing

Now that you are thoroughly convinced your child ought to be writing this summer, here are some activities to get you started. Engage the Brain scoured the Internet and curated the following 13 writing activities to spark your child’s inner author.

1. Rewrite the ending to a favorite book

Whether it is a short story, a picture book, or a longer novel, challenge your child to rewrite the ending to the story. Use the characters and solve the problem differently. Or add a new character.

2. Write fanfiction

Many popular authors have fanfiction websites where admirers of the writer can scribe their own version of the author’s popular stories.

3. Pen pal

Ask your child to pick a favorite relative such as a grandparent and begin a pen pal relationship. The back and forth will provide a real-life opportunity for your child to use the writing process, whether it is through email or good old fashioned paper and pen.

4. Create a travel brochure

With the pandemic slowly loosening its grips on the country, maybe your family has planned a trip this summer. Encourage your child to research the location(s) you are visiting and to create a travel brochure highlighting all the destinations they would like to see.

5. Enter a writing contest

Sometimes a child needs a little more motivation to get writing and competition and money or prizes can be the motivating factor. Check out this list. Pay attention to the entry dates.

6. Create a new word

Your child will love to make up new words. Here a few examples: hattitude, adjective, a person with an attitude but they are wearing a hat; prevoid, verb, you do this to stop bad stuff from happening. Engaging in this activity reviews parts of speech and definitions of words.

7. Madlibs

Madlibs are those wonderful, silly, short stories that have blanks in them that your child then inserts a word for. Often times the blanks require a part of a speech such as a proper noun or adverb. There are physical books that can be purchased or there are many free websites where your child can spend time laughing up a storm at the nonsense stories they create.

8. Build vocabulary

Often times in school the study of vocabulary gets overlooked due to time constraints. While there are many avenues to improving as both a reader and a writer, building vocabulary is one such way. There are many good vocabulary books aligned by grade level that could be purchased. Another method is for your child to create their own dictionary and add to it every time they hear or read a new word. By the end of the summer they could have a wonderful resource to use in school.

9. Typing/Keyboarding practice

With so many schools moving to digital instruction, learning how to type is now mandatory. Fortunately there are many great programs available. Common Sense Education lists some good ones.

10. Write a graphic novel

Most kids know Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney and Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey. Now it’s their turn. Most kids love to draw characters, so let them flex their creative muscles and create their graphic novel.

11. Write about a photo

Allow your child to pick a favorite photo. Challenge him or her to write a descriptive paragraph about the picture. Encourage them to tap into the “senses” of the photo: what they might see, hear, smell, touch, or taste.

12. The Most Disgusting Sandwich

Every kid loves to eat! Challenge them to come up with the ingredients for a disgusting, not edible sandwich. After they have brainstormed the ingredients, have them write out the directions to make their creation.

13. I Wonder journals

Journals are a great, nonthreatening way to get your kids writing. Have them start each entry with the two words I wonder. This could lead to some philosophical thoughts about why they must learn algebra or some silly ideas about why dad always burns the hamburgers. Either way, you win because the kids are writing!

Final thoughts

There are so many great reasons to get your kids writing this summer, from improving their reading comprehension to internalizing spelling patterns to simply recording their thoughts. As Mary K. Tedrow, an award-winning high school English teacher said, “Reading is the inhale; writing is the exhale.” Just because the school does not require it, allow your child the chance to breathe in literary air and exhale some creative writing this summer.

If you have any questions or concerns about summer writing activities, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain.

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What is the summer slide? And what can be done to stop it.

Let’s be honest. Both students and parents look forward to summer break. The frenetic rush of the school day schedule is grueling: wake up, pack lunches or ensure everyone has lunch money, homework complete and in backpacks (or digitally turned in), acceptable clothes on (at least the shirt if virtual learning is happening), and everyone in the car to make it to school on time. Rinse and repeat 180 times!

Everyone deserves time to take a deep breath and enjoy a little downtime. But too much downtime can pose problems: the summer slide.

What is it? The summer slide is a regression of academics over the summer months due to lack of reading and math practice. According to a study conducted by NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association), students in 3^rd-5^th grade lost about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math during summer break. For slightly older students in 7^th grade, the numbers are even more troubling: 36 percent in reading and 50 percent in math.

Statistics vary by student population. Children from low-income families tend to regress more than their middle class and upper middle class peers due to lack of opportunities and access to quality summer programs. Also younger children from any background in kindergarten through 2^nd grade tend to lose more because they are simply asked to learn more.

The good news: there are many things a student can do to not only avoid the summer slide but can actually continue to think, learn, and grow over the summer. Many are free or inexpensive.

What it takes to avoid the summer slide

In simplest terms kids need to read over the summer and work with numbers. And it doesn’t take much to keep skills sharp. According to research by Colorado State University, reading only four or five books over the summer is enough to prevent an academic reading regression.

Math is another story. Research from Harvard University reveals that giving kids math worksheets is not an effective method for avoiding a summer slide. It takes a more integrated approach. Read on to learn a few fun ways to sneak math into your kids’ summer routines.

Strategies to incorporate reading

• Let kids choose to what to read. Graphic novels like Diary of a Wimpy Kid are great choices over the summer.
  
• Read aloud to your kids. This improves listening comprehension – (every teacher will thank you!) and it builds critical background knowledge that your child can use to make connections to other texts they read.
  
• Sign your kid(s) up for a reading challenge. In Central Florida the Orange County Public Library has a summer reading program aimed at children of all ages. Click on the link for more information.
  
• The Scholastic book company has its own online reading program. Click on the link for details: https://kids.scholastic.com/kids/games/.
  
• Let your kids explore apps and websites. We Are Teachers has an excellent list of the best 25 reading apps with descriptions of each.
  
• Take a virtual field trip. With COVID-19 still a concern, the Internet allows the educational world to come to you. Good Housekeeping has an extensive list of possible destinations including Colonial Williamsburg and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Strategies to incorporate math

Do not forget math. Often times parents understandably focus on reading but overlook the importance of keeping math skills sharp over the summer. As the Harvard research referenced above states, simply handing your child a worksheet will not produce gains nor reduce loss. It takes a more thoughtful approach.

Children with learning differences need more creative ways to stimulate their interest and curiosity. ADDitude Magazine, which focuses on children with ADHD, has a great list of suggestions on how to creatively incorporate math into summer.

• Set up an old-fashioned lemonade stand. Mixing the lemonade requires measurement and working with fractions. And of course selling the product requires handling money and making change.
  
• Incorporate sports. The next time you go to a game or watch one on TV – which ever sport it is – ask your child to keep score or track a player’s stats. How many points has he or she scored? How many total yards has a player gained? What is a player’s batting average?
  
• Plant a garden. Gardening requires a bunch of calculations such as depth of planting the seeds and required spacing between them, frequency and amount of watering, and how and when to harvest the bounty.
  
• Errand estimation. The next time you go out to run errands in the car, ask your child to estimate how far the store is in miles and how long it will take to get there. After arriving at the destination, check on the estimates and compare to the actual distance and time it took. If you have a second location to go to, repeat and challenge your child to be closer with his or her estimate than the last one.
  
• Play math games. Games like Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Racko all require calculating with numbers, categorizing information, and using strategy to win.

Conclusion

The Summer Slide is real and affects different students in different ways. It is safe to say that any child that does not read or work with numbers over the summer will regress and lose some academic gains made during the school year. The good news is that are many fun ways for students to get in some reading and handling of numbers over the summer.

While parents and students look forward to a more relaxed schedule during the summer, incorporating some reading and math is essential for students to continue to grow. If you have any questions about how to avoid the Summer Slide, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain.

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Why do parents choose to homeschool? And what are some traditional and nontraditional approaches to the practice?

To homeschool or not to homeschool, that is a colossal question. Ask ten homeschool parents why they made the decision and you will likely get ten different responses. And just as varied as the reasons for homeschooling are the approaches, curriculum, and classroom settings.

Further, a growing number of families have tackled this question. According to the NHERI (National Homeschool Education Research Institute) some 2.5 million students or 3% to 4% of school age children were homeschooled in 2019, before the pandemic sent most every student scurrying back to the safety of their home to learn virtually.

But as education as a whole and students in particular begin to emerge from the pandemic, it is fair to ask what a post-pandemic idyllic education setting might look like. Some students thrived, learning virtually without the structure or need for a physical school or rigid school schedule. However, most other students flailed miserably without face-to-face learning and a live teacher in the room to guide lessons and thoughtfully tackle nuanced learning styles. Those students with a learning difference suffered the most.

One can safely predict that families opting to homeschool will increase, even once all schools return to in-person instruction. According to the Federation for Children, a national survey conducted in 2020 revealed that over 40% of parents would consider some version of homeschooling once the pandemic ends.

Benefits and Drawbacks to Homeschooling

To repeat, there are many reasons a parent may choose to homeschool. Running the calculus of benefits to drawbacks can help decide.

Benefits

• Customize or individualize the curriculum and learning environment for each child
• Accomplish more academically than in schools
• Use pedagogical approaches other than those typical in institutional schools
• Enhance family relationships between children and parents and among siblings
• Provide guided and reasoned social interactions with youthful peers and adults

Drawbacks

Middle School Net does a nice job of listing some disadvantages that parents should consider.

Time

When parents take the responsibility of educating their children at home, they may need to set aside time to make it work.

Cost

In comparison to public schools, where education is free, homeschooling can be costly. Purchasing the newest curriculum and teaching tools can be expensive.

Socialization

Homeschooled children may not have as many opportunities to interact with other children in comparison to children who attend regular schools.

Patience

One of the reasons why homeschooling can be bad is the fact that parents may lose patience when they are trying to educate their children.

Deciding to homeschool is a difficult decision. Gathering information can help parents make the correct choice for their individual family.

Curriculum Choices

If you have decided that homeschooling is a possibility for your family, then you are going to need curriculum. Think about your child’s/children’s age(s), strengths, interests, and areas of need. Studies show that all students benefit from a combination of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches to learning, as well as direct instruction in new concepts. Perhaps you will choose to combine pre-written curricula for skills instruction with project-based opportunities for real-world application. The beauty of homeschooling is that these decisions can be tailored to your child’s needs, strengths, and interests. 

Who is going to be teaching? You the parent or someone else? What is your/their preferred teaching style?

What is your budget? Homeschool curriculums can be expensive! There are physical books and online options.

How to Homeschool has an extensive list of curriculum options, which we recommend you check out.

Hybrid Homeschool Options

Of course not all homeschooled students study exclusively in their homes. Some parents take of advantage of local hybrid programs. One such option in the Central Florida area is the North Park Learning Group run by Engage the Brain. Here students join learning specialists who lead a variety of enrichment classes spanning language arts, math, science, and art. Hannah Hartman, who is the program director, said: “A hybrid homeschool program provides elements of both home education and a traditional school setting.  Students and parents benefit from the knowledge and expertise of an experienced teacher who can help guide each individual student’s progress.”

An added benefit of attending a hybrid program is parental help with student assessment. Hartman added: “Their hybrid teacher can provide progress monitoring, help parents with curriculum, keep grades, and give general feedback about student progress.” She went on to say that “at home” days can be spent focusing on work, taking field trips, or participating in extracurricular activities.

Conclusion

The connotation of homeschooling has changed. The pandemic has accelerated the notion that “school” does not need to be a brick and mortar location. Technologies like Zoom and learning management systems such as Canvas have provided parents and students with different options for school. Add in hybrid programs that combine the best of both home and school and parents have a veritable smorgasbord of educational settings to pick from.

If you are considering homeschooling and have questions or would like to discuss curriculum options, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain.

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Strategies to develop a healthy self-care routine for children

People are struggling.

It has been almost a year since the United States shut down due to the pandemic. Work from home and school from home became the new normal. Weeks progressed from Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday to Blursday. Work-life and school-life balance broke into unrecognizable pieces. Even the most seemingly “put-together” adults have struggled at times with the new “normal.”

If those confident and well-adjusted adults have combated some demons, then how are kids doing?

Children, as a whole, tend to be resilient. But their lives have been turned upside down and the major milestones that mark the progression of youth – birthdays, graduations, and family celebrations – have been nuked by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CDC, 7.1% (4.4 million) of children aged 3-17 suffer from anxiety and 3.2% (1.9 million) battle depression. These statistics are from before the pandemic! Clearly these numbers have sharply increased over the past 12 months. While one need not be Sherlock Holmes to determine why the numbers are growing, a complex array of factors such as the uncertainty to when this all ends, extended social isolation, and parental angst about jobs and providing for their families certainly contribute.

Defining Self-Care

The word “vaccine” has entered our daily conversations. Self-care gurus have described the practice of self-care as a vaccination for your soul. The WHO (World Health Organization) defines it this way: “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” For children, they need our help to establish a healthy self-care routine. An article in Parents states that setting up proper self-care routines can prevent future anxiety and depression in children.

Self-Care Strategies

Create a routine

Routines provide security and predictability. Help your child establish a consistent wake up and bedtime. If your child is learning from home, it is critical to set up a school day schedule. Have your child follow a typical school day schedule with built-in lunch and brain breaks. After school include time to complete chores and provide a “slow down” time when computers and phones are off. For more tips on remote learning, check out this article.

Exercise

Exercise has so many benefits. The simple act of going outside can reduce depression. One need not run or bike or engage in high intensity activities to reap the benefits of exercise, though those endeavors can get your endorphins popping, which are the “feel good” brain waves. The CDC suggests 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day for children. Even going for a 20-minute walk can change your whole attitude.

Frederick Law Olmsted, the famous landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York City, said, “The enjoyment of scenery employs the mind without fatigue and yet exercises it; tranquilizes it and yet enlivens it; and thus, through the influence of the mind over the body gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the whole system.” In other words, get the kids outside!

Express Yourself

Encouraging children to appropriately express themselves through writing, art, or music has many therapeutic benefits. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, listening to music engages the neocortex part of the brain, which reduces stress and lowers impulsivity. So jam out! Additionally, keeping a journal or encouraging drawing can help children process their feelings. Teach children emotion-related words so they can put a name to their feelings. Find out what expression method works for your child.

Yoga Practice and Meditation

Quieting the mind can be challenging during a pandemic. The sensationalized news and ever-present social media certainly can add rocket fuel to our uncertain and airport-busy minds. What is the antidote? Establishing a yoga routine that includes meditation can do wonders to settle the frazzled mind. In fact it builds physical, emotional, and mental strength. According to the Selmar Institute of Education, children with ADHD who learned meditation and practiced regularly had better concentration and experienced a decrease in hyperactive outbursts. Yoga and meditation promote mindfulness, which is the practice of focusing on the present moment. Chopra offers three mediations geared for children, and this You Tube video can get you started with some yoga poses.

Focus on Sleep

Sleep is a critical ingredient in self-care. According to Health Psych, sleep is crucial for learning, performance, and mental health. And it starts with a consistent and early bedtime. The same Health Psych article states that the hours of sleep before midnight lends them to deeper non-REM sleep, which provides your child with higher levels of concentration the next day. Even teenagers need a sold 9 hours of sleep. Prioritize sleep!

Conclusion

Self-care is more important than ever during a pandemic. Helping your child establish healthy and appropriate self-care strategies will set them up for success in their adult lives. Create a consistent routine, encourage exercise and outdoor activity, channel your child’s emotions in artistic expression, slow down and adopt a yoga and meditation practice, and prioritize sleep. With so much darkness and uncertainty swirling around, adopting self-care strategies will allow you and your child to safely arrive in the light once the pandemic ends.

At Engage the Brain we encourage our students and families to practice good life skills. Self-care leads to healthy bodies and brains.  

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Students are more anxious than ever. What to look for and strategies to mange anxiety.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seismically altered the education landscape. Most schools offer a variety of learning options: in the physical classroom, virtual school, or some version of a hybrid-learning environment with students in their homes using computers to log into the day’s lessons. Most students have participated in more than one of these delivery options during the past year.

Couple in all the unknowns floating around – How long will the pandemic last? When will I get the vaccine? Will I still remember how to socialize appropriately in a group setting? And when will things return to normal? – and it is a recipe for anxious thoughts and behaviors.

Many students are struggling to manage their anxious thoughts. 1 in every 8 students has anxiety, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) and 80% of children with anxiety and 60% of children with depression are not receiving treatment.

And these numbers are before the pandemic hit! One can imagine these statistics have grown exponentially over the past year.

Types of Anxiety

The Child Mind Institute does a good job of describing the different types of anxiety a student may wrestle with:

Separation: A child is worried about separating from a parent or caregiver.

Social: A student is excessively self-conscious during interactions with peers.

Selective mutism: A child has a difficult time speaking in some settings, such as the classroom.

Generalized: The student worries about a wide variety of every day things.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): The child’s mind is filled with unwanted and stressful thoughts. To alleviate the anxiety, the child engages in compulsive behaviors like washing their hands.

Specific phobias: These are excessive irrational fears of particular things such as the dark or being left alone.

Any one of these types of anxiety can affect classroom behavior, academic performance, and or social interactions. Ken Schuster, PsyD says “anxiety locks up the brain, making school hard for anxious kids.”

How Anxiety Might Impact a Student

No matter the type of anxiety a student is struggling with, it will affect their ability to learn. Anxiety in the Classroom describes three ways:

1. Difficulty taking in information – a student may have difficulty paying attention to what needs to be learned.

2. Information is not processed properly – students only receive a surface level understanding of material because their cognitive abilities are over-taxed.

3. Information is not stored in long-term memory – If a student cannot recall previously learned information, they will not do well on exams.

If a student cannot focus in class, is not learning all of the intended lessons, and is not storing any of the material, then clearly the student will exhibit some anxious behaviors.

What Anxiety Looks Like in the Classroom

Anxiety can present itself in any number of ways. In fact, it often “looks” like something else, such as ADHD. Some common behaviors:

• student is easily agitated
• asks repetitive questions
• complains of headaches and or upset stomach
• has inconsistent attendance
• inconsistent completion of homework and or classwork

Clearly these are just a sampling of possible behaviors an anxious student may exhibit. Fortunately there are effective strategies to help a student dealing with anxiety.

How to Help an Anxious Student

The website Understood.org does a wonderful job offering resources to parents of children with learning differences. What follows are a few of their suggested accommodations that may help an anxious student.

1. Allow the student to keep a self-calming object at their seat. This could be a family photo or small stuffed animal.

2. Provide opportunities for the student to see the guidance counselor or other appropriate staff member when they are feeling anxious.

3. Give the student preferential seating in the classroom. Some children are more comfortable in the back of the room, just for example.

4. The teacher can provide a “break pass” to allow the student to walk the hall and perhaps get a drink of water.

5. The teacher can provide the student with advanced notice of transitions and any schedule changes.

6. The teacher or another staff member can check-in frequently with the student to take an “emotional temperature” check.

Phyllis Fagell, a school counselor in Washington D.C., says that some students may not know that they are anxious and that they may need help recognizing triggers and developing coping strategies.

In addition to the above strategies to help an anxious student, Fagell suggests two more techniques.

1. Use mindfulness – For example, a student can hold a small object in their hand and think of three adjectives for it. Or, they can identify all the sounds they hear in the classroom.

2. Write in a gratitude journal – The brain is incapable of producing anxious thoughts while it is producing positive thoughts stemming from gratitude. For more ideas about starting a gratitude practice, check out this article on our website.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that anxiety in students is increasing. The pandemic has magnified the amount of anxiety and the sheer number of students wrestling with it. Once a student recognizes he or she is suffering with anxious thoughts, there are many effective strategies that can help bring the brain back into a calmer state. Students who manage their anxiety are better prepared to learn and provide themselves an invaluable set of tools they can use for the rest of their lives. If you feel like your child’s learning is being impacted by anxious thoughts and are looking for guidance, please contact Engage the Brain to speak with a Learning Specialist.

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